Tis the Season

Tis the Season...for finals!  See what I did there -- baazinga!  I'm supposed to be studying for finals right now, and I totally am...if studying for finals is sitting in the Harvard-Andover library being noisy and blogging.  I have a final on Monday and another one on Wednesday.  I'm going to the ballet on Thursday after work.  That's the reward I'm looking toward.  For now, I have to be all steam ahead and full systems go, even though I don't really feel like it.

The last ten days or so have been really rough.  I'm tired; tired of the people, tired of work, tired of being told my beliefs are wrong, tired of having to be on all the time, tired of croissants, tired of noise, tired of not knowing anyone outside of my department, tired of not getting timely feedback, tired of negativity, tired of labels, and I could probably list things on and on.  I locked myself in my room on Thursday and phoned a friend (I might have also used my 50/50) and unloaded.  Then I slept.

Friday, I got up, went to work, and tried to keep up with the news about the shooting in Connecticut (The Onion had an interesting lamentation on said event, if you can get past the language, but it's real emotion for sure.  Here's something a little more family friendly in response.).  I would have felt guilty for spending most of my day on the internet, but my boss doesn't kill herself getting her work done, so I've decided not to worry about it either...and that makes me tired. 

When I got home, I found friends who wanted to go out for dinner.  I DID NOT feel like it.  But I'm glad I went.  We found this really good barbeque place--seriously good.  Then we decided to go over to the common and look at the tree, and watch  the ice skating going on on the Frog Pond (don't worry, there aren't any actual frogs).  Then we walked through the public garden, all lit with white lights, and through the Commonwealth Mall, which was also lit with white lights.  It was lovely.  I've come to the conclusion that my theological education isn't going to come from inside the classroom, but rather through conversations with actual people (because everyone knows that professors aren't actual people).

This is Ben and me in front of the tree in the common, with the Massachusetts capital building glowing gold in the background.

Better photo of the tree and capitol.

Well you don't know what we can find.  Why don't you come with me, little girl, on a Zamboni ride.

Today I got up, got on the bus (where all of the most interesting people hang out), and went and sang carols at a senior citizens' home.  They were so sweet.  But it was a little weird when they suggested that the shooting in Connecticut yesterday happened because God needed more angels in his heavenly choir.  I don't understand a lot of God's ways, but I'm 99% sure that his preferred choral recruitment method isn't school shootings.  That wasn't the time or place to get into the theology of all of that, so we smiled and sang another song.   Also, it turns out the office manager was married to an Eastern Orthodox priest -- interesting conversation was had.

Even though I'm tired, Boston is still full of interesting people and I'm learning a lot.  Part of the reason I decided to move so far was to experience something different, and, in that way at least, Boston has met with my expectations.  Everything else...well, we'll see.

All of this to say, don't be offended if, when I get back to Missouri, I sleep for three days straight.  It's not personal, I'm just tired.